Site to raise awareness for Charcot Marie Tooth. Discuss my quest to run the Boston Marathon while having CMT. Talk about training and doing marathons, half marathons, triathalons and duathalons. Discuss being an athlete with a disability.

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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

"Everyone has a story, it's what you make out of it. Yyou can feel sorry for yourself or you can pick up and use it as motivation."- Esubalow Truneh

Team CMT is global with members in Vietnam, Canada, Australia, Scotland, Iran, and Finland. I recently interviewed our member in Scotland Julie Glover. Julie is originally from Rockford, Illinois, just a little over an hour from my hometown of Milwaukee.

1.)How
did you hear about Team CMT?

I heard
about Team CMT from a post on the CMT UK website. The were doing a fundraiser
called the '100 Hundred'. 100 people to raise 100GBP, all proceeds to go to CMT
research. I thought, 'I can do that!' That evening I came across Chris Wodke's
post on the CMT Association's FB page about her book and decided to Google it.
Team CMT popped up and I joined.

2.)What
made you want to join Team CMT?

I thought I
could help make a difference by doing something active and (hopefully!)
inspirational. I wanted to show others with CMT that although it is
progressive, there is no need to give up!

3.)Are you an athlete? If so what sports? What events do you plan to do? What are your
fitness goals?

Lol, I
wouldn't call myself an athlete but I AM a fitness instructor. I teach
different types of Zumba classes plus Circuits and Bootcamp. I also attend
University full time and chase my two young children around...that would keep
anyone fit ;)

4.)I
know you did a 5K recently, tell us about the race (Where it was, who ran with
your, why you picked the race) and how the race went for you.

We had
gorgeous weather out at HolyroodPark in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The race went around the bottom of Arthur's Seat near the Dynamic Earth museum.
It was actually my friend Shondra (who oddly enough is also from America)
that suggested we do this run. She is a stroke survivor and had things to prove
to herself as well. The run itself was easier than I thought it would be, but
my body sure paid for it over the next few days! That won't stop me from doing
another though.

5.)Do
you or a family member have CMT? If you have CMT when were you diagnosed? What type CMT?

My
grandmother, mother, uncle, brother and I all have CMT, my uncle and brother
are in orthotics and my mother's hands are starting to become affected. I
started experiencing extreme fatigue and leg weakening around age 25, and
couldn't stand on my toes 6 months later. At the time, the doctor I saw said
that as CMT ran in my family and was not only degenerative but seemed quite
aggressive I should just accept the fact I'd probably be in a wheelchair in 10
years time. I have since been to a geneticist who visually diagnosed me but
although they drew a blood sample and sent it to the lab, mine isn't a type
with a known marker. (And I've no need for that wheelchair yet!)

6.)Tell
us a bit more about you. I know you grew up in RockfordIllinois.
How did you end up in Scotland?

I met an
amazing burly Scotsman and fell in love. I had already been in love with Scotland
since I was 6 years old, this was a dream come true!

7.)What
do you miss most about Rockford?

My family.
We've always been close and it's hard not to be able to drop by for a cuppa
with my mother or see my brothers. I'm really missing my Nani (grandmother) and
seeing all my nieces and nephews grow up. Thank goodness for Skype, Facebook
and WhatsApp!

8.)Where
did you go to school? Are you
married? Do you have children? What do you do for a living?

I worked in
veterinary medicine when I was in the US. I graduated from ArgosyUniversity
and was a Certified Veterinary Technician for nearly 10 years. I moved to Scotland
in 2008 and got married to Chris in 2009. We have 2 wee boys, Caeleb (4yrs) and
Carter (17 months).

I took the
training and became a fitness instructor and Zumba coach while I was pregnant
with Caeleb. I'm in school 36 hours a week (and that's without the commute or
studying) and I still teach a few fitness classes every week.

I've also become a qualified KCR (Kinetic
Chain Release) therapist after discovering the treatment and seeing a massive
improvement in my legs and quality of life. I went on the training courses and
discovered all the benefits it can provide...now I help others in another way!

9.)Your
favorite song to work out to?

I have to
admit that lately I love anything by Bastille.

10.)Anything else you want us to know about you?

I still
love animals and have a Leonberger named Lincoln
and three cats. On the weekends, Chris and I take the kids on walks to the
lagoons across from our house, to the park or even take a bus ride.

My family
is the most important things to me and being together as much as we canis a
priority. My husband and I also teach our children kindness and tolerance for
folks with disabilities. It warmed my heart the other day...I was on the bus
with my children and when Caeleb saw a young man with a cane board our very
full bus, he stood up and said 'Have my seat. You can rest your legs'.

I would
have to say I view my personal experience with CMT as a blessing. True, it's
not as severe as some forms, but it is a daily struggle to find enough energy
to get everything done. I occasionally get the blues but I remind myself of all
the things I can do and have overcome. I wouldn't be the person I am today if I
had been born without HN. The determination and will that comes from being
disabled...especially when someone tells me I 'can't' do something...lol. I
sure proved those doctors wrong.

Thank you Julie for being on Team CMT and being such a great role model! You handle your CMT with grace and dignity. The work team members like Julie do is so important for raising awareness. They are helping to make the invisible, visible. One in two people have not hear of CMT. Team CMT members are changing that. The first step to treatments and a cure is raising awareness.

We will win this fight against CMT. How could be do anything else with great Team CMT members like Julie Glover!

**********************************************

Author at Duathlon National Championship Oro Valley 2013

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion. She was the 2014
Duathlon PC Open Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 159 members in 30 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland,
Canada, Vietnam, Turkey,
Finland and Iran. If you
wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Today's recipe features peppers. I love stuffed green peppers.This soup is like stuffed peppers in a bowl. I always get a craving for them in late summer and early fall. They are a great way to use peppers from the garden.

I did not have any luck growing peppers in my garden this year, but the farmers market is also a good source. Green peppers are common in the farmers market here in Milwaukee. I buy them in season and freeze them for later use.

To freeze peppers, wash, core and seed. You can cut into bite sized pieces like you would for soup or chili or into strips like you would use for a stir fry. It's convenient to have peppers on hand for a soup or stir fry.

Feel free to use any type of pepper in this soup. They all work well. I liked to added color of using red and yellow peppers.

In a stockpot, brown the beef and onions until the meat is
no longer pink. Stir in the broth,
sauce, diced tomatoes and paste. Stir in
the peppers. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Spoon about ¼ of rice into a soup bowl and
top with soup.

Makes 6 servings

********************

Chris Wodke at Aquathon National Championship El Reno OK 2014

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion. She is the 2014PC Open National Duathlon Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 159 members in 30 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland,
Canada, Vietnam, Turkey,
Finland and Iran. If you
wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finishe2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 159 members in 30 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland,
Canada, Vietnam, Turkey,
Finland and Iran. If you
wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Don't be concerned with what you can't do. Work on what you can do and then count your blessings." - Alan Robinson, 56 year old paralyzed runner

Last year I had the perfect race. They don't happen often for me and when it happens on your home course it makes it even sweeter. It happened at the USAT Age Group Sprint Nationals here in Milwaukee. It wasn't because I was fast, I'm not. It wasn't because I finished high in my age group, I didn't. It was the perfect race because it all went so well and it was so much fun. It was one of those races that make me realize how blessed I am. I get to do races all over the country raising awareness for CMT.

I really didn't have a race like that this year. It was really a year of struggles and although I finished 1st at many of the races, I struggled and made mistakes for most of the year. Here is a bit of a re-cap.

Boston
My coach set an aggressive goal of 4 hr 51 minutes. My guide Cheryl Kearney paced me exactly to reach that goal. I felt great before, during and after the race, better doing this race than I have in any marathon. My coach had me so ready. I finished 5th in the Mobility Impaired Division. It was an emotional day, running to support the Boston Marathon supporters. The fans have loved us as runners and we were able to help take back the marathon for them. It was a great start to the season.

PATCO Dallas
I was selected to represent Team USA at the Triathlon Pan American Cup. The new para-triathlon classification system was making its debut in Dallas. I gave up a chance to race in Spain as an age group athlete for Team USA to race as paratriathlete in Dallas. Because there were not enough medical appointments I was given provisional permission to compete. I got food poisoning the night before the race and was still sick during the race. The 100 F heat did not help and two athletes collapsed on the course. I finished in 4th, but my bike leg was about 10 minutes slower than normal, a pattern I would fight all season.

Pewaukee Tri
I wasn't going to do the race, but it was the State Championship for the Wisconsin Senior Games and lots of friends would be doing it. I remember standing at the swim start and seeing how rough the water was. I was not even nervous. My bike was over 10 minutes slower, but the course was different. I noted it. I took 1st in my age group for the Senior games and qualified for the National games next year in Minnesota.

ITU Chicago
I was accepted to race at the ITU Chicago race and finally went through classification. I was disappointed again by being denied entry. Even more troubling was a CMT affected athlete getting in who had not worked out much all winter. It seems the system was punishing me for working hard to achieve at the elite level. So far any athletes with CMT that can make the time standard for competing at the U.S. National Championship cannot make it through the classification process. The categories were also re-done. Those with neuro-muscular conditions no longer had their own category. We were now grouped with those with single leg impairments. The way the categories are structured, even if I classified in there would be no chance of Team USA financial support or gaining points toward Rio in 2016. I saw my hopes for any para competition at the elite level de-railed in Chicago. I was offered a chance in the Physically Challenged Open division, but I declined. It was the low point of my season.

Duathlon Nationals St Paul
I took 1st in the PC Open division. It was cool to be national champion. Even though I am not a classified para-triathlete, USAT told me I could compete as a physically challenged athlete. A male athlete also competed in the PC Open and I was only 7 seconds behind him. It was a challenging and windy bike leg and again my time was slower by 13 minutes.

Age Group Sprint National Championship
I struggled the whole time on the bike portion, I was working as hard as I could and could barely get above 16 mph. The bike leg was 13 minutes slower than the last year. After the race I noticed my tire was under inflated and my brake had been rubbing. Was that it, was something wrong with me or the bike?

Chicago Triathlon
Finally I had a race I could compare my bike leg against since I had done this race in 2013. I finished 1st in the PC Open division, but again the bike leg was 12 minutes slower on a flat course. I averaged a horrible 15.5 miles per hour. Something was going on. My coach tested me on a compu trainer and my watts were way lower. So was it me or the bike? Blood tests showed everything was normal so it was off to Brent Emery former Olympic cyclist for a fitting. $300 dollars later I was ready to test it out/

Senior Games Cycling
I thought this would be a fun low key event. Not on the men's side. There were guys all over in Lycra and fancy bikes warming up. Competition the men's side was pretty intense. The women not so much. We all talked at the starting line and for all of us it was our first cycling race. We all agreed to have fun and I did. I average 17.7 mph for a 10 K TT and a 20 K road race. It felt so good and my bike problem was solved. I took 1st in the 20K making me State Champ and 2nd in the 10 K. I qualified for the National Senior Games in Minnesota in July. It felt good to have my bike issue resolved and know my CMT hadn't suddenly accelerated to steal my speed.

Tempe Tri- Para triathlon National Championship
I would be racing in the PC open since I had not passed classification in Chicago. I had to do the swim without a wetsuit because the water was too warm. I have gotten so strong as a swimmer I as able to do the swim easily. The bike went well till I missed the turn off back to transition. It was not well marked. I then took a wrong turn on the run course, even though I went as directed by the volunteers. The problems cost me 31 minutes extra. I finished 1st in the PC Open division. The best part of the whole experience was Team CMT member Alyson O Connor and her family were in Tempe for the race. Still a disappointing race. This was my A race for the season and it did not go well. I so much wanted to have a good race at this event. Still I got to meet lots of USAT officials and press the CMT case. I also got to lots of para-triathlon acquaintances.

Aquathon National Championship- El Reno, Ok
This was a 1500 meter swim and a 10 K run. This is the longest swim I've ever done in open water. I did it two minutes faster than goal. A swim this distance was a stretch goal and I am proud I was able to achieve it. The run was not great, but I got through it and qualified for the ITU World Championship next year. I will be representing Team USA as an Age Group athlete.

When I was really upset about not passing para triathlon classification, my coach asked me to remember why I do these races. She asked if I ever considered not working out to try and pass classification since I'm often told I'm too strong. Doing that never crossed my mind. She knows I do these races to raise awareness for CMT. I also do the races to motivate myself to stay strong and to be a role model for others in the CMT community. I know that exercise and nutrition are the only things I have right now to fight my CMT. While there are things like classification that I can't control. I'm going to focus on the things I can control. I'll keep working hard, so that when I do make classification I will be ready to compete at the highest level. I will be ready to do my best. I certainly have lots of mistakes to learn from.

I'll take that motivation and discipline and work to be the best athlete I can be and just maybe next year I'll have another perfect race.

********************

Author at PATCO Dallas May 2014

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finishe2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 159 members in 30 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland,
Canada, Vietnam, Turkey,
Finland and Iran. If you
wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Sunday, October 19, 2014

“Cooking demands attention, patience, and above all a respect for the gifts of the earth. It is a form of worship, a way of giving thanks.” - Judith B. Jones, American Cookbook author and editor

It's soup weather again. It has been chilly and rainy all week. This morning it was 31 F. So I am back to making a batch of soup every week for my lunches. I had this simmering on the stove while I was doing the rest of my cooking on Saturday. I used rice noodles, but you can use rice if you like that better. Like any recipe feel free to adjust the spices and ingredients to suit your tastes.

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finishe2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 159 members in 30 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland,
Canada, Vietnam, Turkey,
Finland and Iran. If you
wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Based on a recipe from Triathlete and chef Leslie Myers this
nutrient-packed smoothie was posted on the Triathlete Magazine web site. She says “Pumpkins contain a huge dose of
vitamin A, and bee pollen is a complete food that alkalizes your body, builds
muscle, aids in exercise recovery and is even said to be an aphrodisiac.”

This recipe can be thrown together in minutes, which means
it’s great for a busy morning. In fall I
really crave pumpkin and this is a great addition to my recipe collection. It’s hard to believe this is a healthy
recipe, it takes really rich. Really yummy.

½ cup canned pumpkin

1 ripe banana

1 cup almond milk

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon orange extract

Put all of the ingredients in a blender and process on high
until smooth.

Serves one.

There was an additional pumpkin smoothie recipe on the
triathlete.com website. They are very similar. The ice in the second recipe
makes for a really thick drink. Both are really good. Try making both and see
which becomes a favorite for you.

Smoothie 2

1 ½ cup almond mik

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 ripe banana

¼ cup pitted dates

1 tablespoon agave

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

6 ice cubes

Place all items except the ice cubes in a blender. Blend
mixture on high until blended. Add ice
cubes and blend until all the ice cubes are processed.

Makes 1 large smoothie.

Superfood-Pumpkin

Pumpkin puree has a number of health benefits including:

Vitamin C- one cup of pumpkin
puree contains 20% of the daily requirement of vitamin C. That is really
important during cold and flu season.

Carotenoids- These help your skin
to stay healthy and reduce wrinkles.

Beta-Carotene- is an anti-oxidant
which may play a role in cancer prevention.

Fiber- one cup has 3 grams of
fiber. Fiber fills you up so you may consume less food.

Potassium- one cup of pumpkin
puree has 564 miligrams of potassium, that is more than a banana which has
422 milligrams on average. So pumpkin is great to restore muscles after a
work out and keep them functioning well.
Potassium can help reduce muscle cramping.

Vitamin A- one cup of pumpkin
puree has 200% of your daily requirement. Vitamin A is needed to maintain
vision.

*****************************

Author at PATCO Dallas May 2014

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finishe2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 159 members in 30 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland,
Canada, Vietnam, Turkey,
Finland and Iran. If you
wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Based on a recipe from Triathlete and chef Leslie Myers this nutrient-packed smoothie was posted on the Triathlete Magazine web site. She says “Pumpkins contain a huge dose of vitamin A, and bee pollen is a complete food that alkalizes your body, builds muscle, aids in exercise recovery and is even said to be an aphrodisiac.”

Pumpkin Smoothie

This recipe can be thrown together in minutes, which means it’s great for a busy morning. In fall I really crave pumpkin and this is a great addition to my recipe collection. It’s hard to believe this is a healthy recipe, it takes really rich. Really yummy. They taste like pumpkin pie in a glass.

½ cup canned pumpkin

1 ripe banana

1 cup almond milk

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon orange extract

Put all of the ingredients in a blender and process on high until smooth.

Serves one.

There was an additional pumpkin smoothie recipe on the triathlete.com website. They are very similar. The ice in the second recipe makes for a really thick drink. Both are really good. Try making both and see which becomes a favorite for you.

Pumpkin Smoothie 2

1 ½ cup almond mik

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 ripe banana

¼ cup pitted dates

1 tablespoon agave

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

6 ice cubes

Place all items except the ice cubes in a blender. Blend mixture on high until blended. Add ice cubes and blend until all the ice cubes are processed.

Makes 1 large smoothie.

Superfood-Pumpkin

Pumpkin puree has a number of health benefits including:

Vitamin C- one cup of pumpkin
puree contains 20% of the daily requirement of vitamin C. That is really
important during cold and flu season.

Carotenoids- These help your skin
to stay healthy and reduce wrinkles.

Beta-Carotene- is an anti-oxidant
which may play a role in cancer prevention.

Fiber- one cup has 3 grams of
fiber. Fiber fills you up so you may consume less food.

Potassium- one cup of pumpkin
puree has 564 miligrams of potassium, that is more than a banana which has
422 milligrams on average. So pumpkin is great to restore muscles after a
work out and keep them functioning well.
Potassium can help reduce muscle cramping.

Vitamin A- one cup of pumpkin
puree has 200% of your daily requirement. Vitamin A is needed to maintain
vision.

*****************

Author at PATCO Dallas May 2014

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finishe2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 159 members in 30 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland,
Canada, Vietnam, Turkey,
Finland and Iran. If you
wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Friday, October 17, 2014

"Decide upon your major definite purpose in life and then organize all your activities around it." -Brian Tracy, Motivational Speaker

Fall is a time of tranisition in Wisconsin. It is a beutiful time of year when the leaves turn brillant shades of gold and red. Crunching leaves on the ground make a wonderful noise when ridden over during a ride or run over during a workout. It's a time of transition as the days get cooler and daylight gets shorter as we move to winter.

Transition was the only word on my workout schedule last week and this week. My competition schedule ended on October 5th at the Aquathon National Championship in El Reno, Oklahoma. It was a great end to the season since I made Team USA for the World Championships in Chicago next year.

For a triathlete transition usually refers to the area where we set up our bike and run gear and where we go to as we move from swimming to cycling and from cyling to running.Transition is a place you go on the way to somewhere else. A good athlete plans their transitions as carefully as the rest of their race.

Transition was the only entry these last two weeks on my workout schedule.Transition on the workout calendar meant I've entered a rest and recovery period of my training. I'm way over due for a good rest. I've done the Boston Marathon the last three years, which meant I went from doing the marathon in mid April right into triathlon season and then starting all over again the month after the end of tri season.

My coach had nothing written into my training calendar. That is a really change for me. I'm used to working out 1-2 hours every day 7 days a week. My coach told me I could do anything I felt like doing except run or even do nothing at all. I could do whatever I wanted but I should keep it around 30 minutes.

I love this tranistion because it's giving me a much needed mental break. I have no race planned anytime soon, so I can just have fun with my workouts. I've been swimming and biking most days just because I love it so much. It's nice to just enjoy moving with no drills, no splits and no agenda.

Since I won't be doing Boston this year, I'm hoping the two ankle injuries I've picked up from training will finally heal. I 've been concerned the injuries are due to my CMT progressing. I guess I'll find out. If the injuries don't heal, I'll have to give up long distance running and my transition to triathlon will be complete.

I'm enjoying the extra time to cook, relax and even try new things like Tai Chi. I have more time to spend on awareness raising for CMT. After all that is the reason I got back into competition. It has been and continues to be all about raising awareness of CMT and funds for CMT research. If someday I can't swim, run or bike, I'll transition into other ways to carry out my purpose.

My little mini vaction will be up in a few weeks when my indoor bike class starts the first week of November. I'll be making the transition into training for next season. Like this year it will be a season of appearing in national level events. My weeks of rest and transiton are just one more place I will pass through on my way to next season.

*************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 5th
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division.

She was
the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion. In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the
Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015. In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 159 members in 30 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland,
Canada, Vietnam, Turkey,
Finland and Iran. If you
wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

There is a group of Marquette University students here in Milwaukee doing research on AFO's.

As part of a student biomedical engineering senior design project, the students aim to design a muscle controlled Ankle Food Orthosis (AFO0 for people with drop foot, especially those with Charcot-Marie Tooth (CMT) disease. The team is currently defining customer specification in order to capture the needs of people who currently have or have used AFO's. The anonymous survey is one of the tools they will use in order to better understand the needs of those with CMT using AFO's.

I reached out to the student sponsor when I saw his posting on Facebook. It sounded like the kind of project the CMT community would like to help with. They are getting feedback with the idea of improving AFO's. I gave him a link for the Team CMT web site and he has added 3 questions for athletes about AFO's

Here is the note Miguel sent to me. Hope you can help him with his projec.t

Thank you for reaching out. I was looking at the link you provided, and I am AMAZED at the amount of CMT events, including the Marathons and Triathlons! That is very inspirational.

We have some ideas of where we envision our design to head to, and getting input from CMT athletes would provide very unique information. I personally am interested in an athletic AFO as, to my knowledge, current AFO's only provide daily ambulation assistance. I am hoping that my team will agree once they get more information on the need for such device.

A link to our anonymous and volunteer-based survey is provided below. We added a question in page 3 specifically for athletes.

Again, thank you so much Chris for reaching out. I look forward to working with people with CMT in the future!

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 5th
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division.

She was
the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion. In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the
Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015. In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 159 members in 30 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland,
Canada, Vietnam, Turkey,
Finland and Iran. If you
wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing